Is Bone Broth Low FODMAP? What You Need to Know Before You Sip

If you are following the low FODMAP diet, then you may have come to realise that sometimes, it’s not as easy as it sounds to find truly gut-friendly foods. In Most cases, products marketed as “gut-friendly” may actually contain food elements that will cause digestive symptoms in IBS patients.

One of the best examples of such foods is Bone broth, which is recommended due to its many gut health properties; however, once you look into the ingredients list, you will see that it has onion, garlic, or even both, which are high FODMAP foods to avoid during the elimination phase of the diet.

So, what's the solution? As a person who manages your IBS or follows a low FODMAP diet based on the recommendation of a dietitian, you need to know that all bone broths are different.

Is bone broth low FODMAP? The answer is yes, but most bone broths on sale in Australia are not. Broth Sisters’ bone broth has been tested and certified by FODMAP Friendly Australia as low FODMAP.

What are FODMAPs, and why do they matter for your gut?

FODMAPs are a group of short-chain carbohydrates - fermentable sugars - that some people's guts struggle to absorb. When they're not absorbed properly, they ferment in the gut, drawing in water and producing gas. For people with IBS, that can mean bloating, cramping, pain and unpredictable digestion.

The low FODMAP diet was developed by researchers at Monash University in Melbourne, and it's now the leading dietary approach for managing IBS symptoms worldwide. It works by temporarily removing high FODMAP foods, then systematically reintroducing them to find your personal triggers.

Here's the catch: FODMAPs hide in foods that are otherwise genuinely healthy. Onion and garlic are two of the most concentrated sources - and they're in almost everything, including a lot of stock, soup and bone broth on the supermarket shelf.

Why isn't most bone broth low FODMAP?

Bones themselves aren't the problem. A broth made from bones, water and salt is naturally low FODMAP.

The problem is what gets simmered alongside them. Traditional broth and stock recipes - including a large number of commercial bone broths - are made with onion, garlic, or leek for flavour. Onion and garlic contain fructans, one of the FODMAP groups most strongly linked to IBS symptoms. And because fructans are water-soluble, they leach straight into the liquid as the broth simmers.

You can't strain them out. You can't skim them off. If onion or garlic went into the pot, the FODMAPs are in your cup.

That's why "just check the label" matters so much with bone broth - and why so many people with IBS have given up on it entirely.

What does "certified FODMAP Friendly" actually mean?

Anyone can write "gut friendly" on a label. Certification is different.

FODMAP Friendly Australia is an independent certification program that laboratory-tests finished products to verify their FODMAP levels are within safe thresholds for a low FODMAP diet. If a product carries the FODMAP Friendly logo, it hasn't just been formulated carefully - it has been tested and verified.

The Broth Sisters bone broth carries this certification. That means:

• No onion and no garlic - the flavour comes from quality bones, slow simmering and low FODMAP ingredients
• Independently lab-tested, not just "reads okay on the ingredients list"
• Safe during the elimination phase of the low FODMAP diet, when you're being strictest

For anyone who has spent months reading labels in the supermarket aisle, that little logo does a lot of heavy lifting.

Is chicken bone broth good for IBS?

Chicken bone broth is often the gentlest place to start if your gut is sensitive.

It's naturally rich in gelatin and amino acids like glycine and proline - the building blocks of collagen - released from the bones and connective tissue during slow simmering. It's warm, savoury and easy to digest, which matters when your gut is flaring and solid food feels like too much.

It's also genuinely useful in the elimination phase, when your usual flavour-makers (onion, garlic, most stocks and sauces) are off the table and everything starts tasting a bit beige. A cup of properly made chicken bone broth gives you depth of flavour without the FODMAPs - as a warm drink on its own, or as the base for soups, risottos and braises.

Our chicken bone broth is our flagship for a reason: it's the one our customers with sensitive guts come back to again and again.

What can you cook with if onion and garlic are out?

This is the question nobody warns you about when you start the low FODMAP diet. Onion and garlic aren't just ingredients - they're the flavour base of practically every cuisine. Take them away and home cooking suddenly gets hard.

This is exactly why we make our vegetable stock paste with no onion and no garlic. It's a concentrated, real-food stock paste that does the job of a stock cube - stirred into soups, stews, pasta sauces, gravies and rice - without the two ingredients most likely to set your gut off.

Between a low FODMAP bone broth and an onion-free, garlic-free stock paste, you've got the two workhorses of everyday cooking covered. Dinner stops being a minefield.

Want to see it in action? Check out our low FODMAP Turkish Sweet Potato Soup - a comforting, gut-friendly bowl made with our veggie stock and turmeric and ginger paste.

How do you fit bone broth into a low FODMAP day?

Keep it simple. Some of the ways our customers use it.

• As your first warm drink of the morning - something nourishing in your system before the coffee, especially if you're mindful of caffeine giving your cortisol an extra nudge first thing
• As your afternoon cuppa - all the ritual and warmth, none of the caffeine, so it won't keep you lying awake all nightt
• As a soup base - add low FODMAP vegetables (think carrot, zucchini, spinach) and a protein
• For cooking grains - rice and quinoa cooked in broth instead of water taste completely different
• On flare up days - when your gut wants warmth and gentleness, not a full plate

There's no rule about how much or how often. Start with a cup and see how you feel - and if you're working through the elimination and reintroduction phases, do it alongside a FODMAP-trained dietitian.

Frequently asked questions

Is bone broth low FODMAP? Only if it's made without high FODMAP ingredients like onion and garlic. Most commercial bone broths in Australia contain one or both. The Broth Sisters bone broth is certified FODMAP Friendly by FODMAP Friendly Australia, meaning it has been independently lab-tested as low FODMAP.

Can I drink bone broth during the elimination phase of the low FODMAP diet? A certified low FODMAP bone broth can be included during elimination. Always check for the certification logo rather than relying on "natural" or "gut friendly" claims.

Why do most bone broths contain onion and garlic? They're traditional flavour bases. The trouble is that their fructans are water-soluble, so they dissolve into the broth during simmering and can't be removed afterwards.

Is chicken or beef bone broth better for IBS? Both can be suitable if they're made without high FODMAP ingredients. Many people with sensitive digestion find chicken bone broth the gentlest starting point.

What can I use instead of stock cubes on a low FODMAP diet? Most stock cubes contain onion and garlic. Look for an onion-free, garlic-free alternative - our vegetable stock paste is made without either, so you can build flavour in everyday cooking without the FODMAPs.

Where can I buy low FODMAP bone broth in Australia? The Broth Sisters certified FODMAP Friendly bone broth is available through Harris Farm, independent health food stores across Australia, and online.